Parish councils set to top up library costs

Bollington Library could have some of its opening hours funded by the town council

Parish councils could contribute towards the cost of keeping libraries open, under new proposals.

Cheshire East Council has proposed introducing a ‘tier system’ for its libraries, with some to remain open full time as community hubs but others would have their opening hours reduced to two days a week.

The council has now unveiled plans to work with parish councils to contribute towards keeping the libraries open longer each week.

A consultation on the plans runs until 15 September.

Under the proposals, Bollington Town Council would pay for the library to be open for 16.5 hours a week, while Cheshire East Council would pay for 16 hours.

The authority currently pays for the library to be open for 32.5 hours each week.

Disley and Handforth town councils would pay for their library to be open for an extra 3 and a half hours per week, on top of the 11 hours paid for by the council.

Disley is currently open for 20 hours a week while Handforth is open for 32.5 hours.

Cheshire East Council is also asking for views on alternative ways of funding libraries.

These include having libraries run by volunteers, outsourcing, being run as a charitable trust or social enterprise or in partnership with the private sector.

Under the proposals, libraries in Congleton, Crewe, Macclesfield, Nantwich and Wilmslow would be tier one sites and would become hubs with other services.

Tier two sites in Alsager, Holmes Chapel, Knutsford, Middlewich, Poynton and Sandbach would have core library services with opening hours to match when the sites are their busiest.

One of the area's MPs, Labour's Tim Roca, has raised concerns about the cuts to library opening hours.

A report last month warned that Cheshire East Council could be facing issuing a section 114 order, which is when a local authority is effectively bankrupt.